


i could stay here in your arms, forever

by attackeyebrows



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, cuddlecore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-15 02:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4589520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attackeyebrows/pseuds/attackeyebrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long, tiring day, Twelve and Clara decide to get some peace and quiet. Clara knew that all that time spent on getting him used to hugging would have it's perks in the end. Mostly fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i could stay here in your arms, forever

It's not often that The Doctor stuck to a routine. With endless opportunities simply just a levers pull away, he never bothered to do the same thing over and over again; that was a little bit too human for his liking. But here he lies in bed with Clara, her head resting on his stomach, curled around him like a small cat. He wonders why he didn't start a routine sooner.

The Doctor didn't sleep that much either, there was simply no need. He hadn't even known he had a bedroom of his own until Clara urged him to go and find it. Since his relationship with Clara developed, they often found themselves in this position. At the end of a long day, all Clara wanted was either a hug or sleep, and this way she got both, clinging onto him tight so he couldn't escape when she wasn't awake.

Sometimes he fell asleep too. The sound of Clara's steady breathing helping him to drift off, alongside the total tranquillity inside the room. She would squash up behind him, perching her head on his shoulder, her knees coming up to slot underneath his. Most of the time they fell asleep with their hands intertwined, keeping the other feeling safe and warm.

Other nights, he would simply watch Clara sleep, with his nose pressed up into her hair. She looked so peaceful and at ease during the night, and he would just stare at her in awe with a smile toying on his face. He honestly didn't understand what he'd done to deserve someone like her.

He held an old Dickens book in his hand, the spine tattered and the pages yellowed, pencil scribbles in the margins from where he'd read something and altered it. His glasses were pressed to the highest point on his nose, thick frames covering the top. Clara had laughed when he first put them on; pointing out how much of an old man he was becoming needing glasses to read. He'd just told her to shut up and let her carry on mocking him. His other hand ran through her hair, running his fingers through it, stroking her ear delicately as his thumb passed by.

Clara’s hand ran down his body, absentmindedly brushing against his chest. Due to his naturally high body temperature, he usually slept without a shirt on, much to the delight of Clara. Her finger traced down a trail of silver hair that led from the bottom of his chest down his stomach, tapping where it hit her nose. His skin went sensitive at the touch, goosebumps forming along her path, making his nose wrinkle.

“Are you planning on staying there all night?” The Doctor asked, knowing that he was nearing the end of his chapter, flicking onto the last page. Even though he had read this book a thousand times before, it never stopped him from getting engrossed in it. Every time he would find something new that made him smile and think.

She wrapped her arms around his middle and locked her hands underneath him, holding him to her tight in case he moved her away.

“Hm. And what if I was?” She spoke into his skin, looking up at him with inflated eyes, almost pleading for approval.

“Well…” He placed the book open on his chest so that he could look at her, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose from where they had fallen. “It might not be the most comfortable position to fall asleep in, coming from me especially.” He ran a hand through his hair, pulling his curls down over his glasses and letting them spring back into place, resting his fist on his cheek to prop himself up.

“This is the only place that I can actually put my head on your body without getting one of your bones sticking into my ear. You’re just going to have to deal with it, Mister.” She nuzzled her head into his soft skin and squeezed him tighter. When he sighed, she let a wide smile grow on her face.

He folded down the corner of his page, closing the book shut and running a hand across the cover before he placed it on the bedside table. As he reached to take his glasses off, Clara’s hand grasped around his arm, causing him to stop.

“Keep them on?” She asked, and so he obliged.

“I can’t help what I look like, Clara. My past selves have always been so skinny because that’s how my brain wanted it to be. That's how I wanted people to see me. I suppose after all that hard work I put into retaining my shape over the years pays off in the next regeneration.” He smirked, raising his eyebrows at her.

“Mh, well. This regeneration has certainly let himself go a little bit.” She poked gently at the softness next to her face. It wasn’t like he was fat, he was far, far from the word, but also he wasn’t muscly either. He had a slight roundness to him, making him stand out from the others that were all just skin and bone. The small mound makes him warm and cuddly, and a lot more pleasing on the eye. “Not that I mind… you still look like a bloody stick insect with your clothes on though.”

“What can I say, Clara? Perhaps I am just naturally blessed?” She whacked him playfully on the chest, his hand coming over to the place where she had hit him, closing his eyes and laughing. Clara brought her hand back up to meet his, rubbing her thumb over the back of his palm and locking her fingers with his. She placed a small kiss onto the patch of hair beside her, using that as her apology.

“Seriously, though, is there something wrong with your side of the bed? Last time I checked it functioned perfectly fine. I even bought you new pillows the other day!” He huffed, his face the perfect picture of confusion and concern. 

“I know, cupcake, but what’s the point of getting me new pillows when I have the perfect one right here?” She chuckled, squeezing his hand when he narrowed his eyes in her direction. 

“You’re really not going to move are you?” There it was, Clara thought, he was finally fully accepting his defeat.

“Nope.” She challenged, with a sweet smile painted on her face and a playful tone to her voice.

“Please? Not even for a little kiss?” He gave her his best innocent look, silently pleading that this will finally get her to move so that they could both get some rest. 

“Hm, well, since you did ask so very nicely.” She lifted her head and he felt the weight lift from him, sighing with relief that she had finally removed herself, shuffling into a more comfortable position. 

She placed her hands firmly on either side of his head for support, humming contently when The Doctor’s own hands rested on the small of her back, pulling her down towards him. She dipped her head and tucked her nose next to his under the rim of his glasses, smiling as she went in to kiss him. She let him close the distance, lifting his head up slightly as a palm moved beneath his neck to toy with the lonely curls that fell there, feeling his warm lips meet hers. 

It was a genuine, slow kiss, one filled with love and care, where they both put their feelings on the table for everyone to see. As Clara placed hot, open mouth pecks onto his lips, The Doctor decided to bite on her lower lip in return, applying just the right pressure for her body to arch downwards into him. When his fingers dove into her hair, she moved her head to kiss his collarbone, lips travelling down the same stretch of skin that her finger had a few moments ago. 

She lifted her head up to look at him once she had reached the waistband of his trousers, looking to see if he wanted more. However, she was met by a small, sheepish smile that she understood too well. She placed one last kiss just above his navel, before crawling back up his body so they could be face to face. 

His glasses had been pushed up from where they rested on his nose, now hovering on a slant just above his eyebrows. His hair was flattened against his forehead from where their heads had pressed together. She reached out to move the glasses back to their natural position, watching his eyes refocus on her face. 

She leant in once more and gave him a quick, chaste kiss, keeping her eyes closed as she pulled back. Her hands were locked onto the sides of his chest, thumbs stroking at where his rib cage was visible through the skin. 

"Did I ever tell you how good you look in glasses?" 

He laughed, and as she moved away he chased her, managing to reach her lips before she moved off him completely. He rubbed the sides of their noses together as he went the lay back down on the pillow. 

"I've had a pretty good idea based on what happened on the first night I wore them." He smirked and removed his glasses gently before folding the frame and putting them on top of his book.

He lowered himself further into the bed, turning around and placing a hand on her waist, helping her move around and get comfortable. He left a small kiss on the tip of her nose and tucked his arms around her, pressing her up against him and placing their heads together. They often hugged before they went to sleep, their own special way of saying goodnight, and letting the other know that they were there for them always.

"I love you, you big lump." Clara said into the crook of his neck, feeling his pulse rate lower as sleep slowly started to take over, placing her lips against where his skin throbbed. 

"I love you, too, short stuff." He did the same as her, leaving a soft kiss on the corner her jaw and then another on the crown of her head before turning around. 

They fell into their usual position. Clara tucked in behind The Doctor's body, her small knees fitting in the space left at the back of his larger ones. With her nose balancing on his shoulder and her breath tickling his ear, her arm came over him to find his own hand, gripping it tight and giving it a squeeze. 

As the TARDIS dimmed the lights for them, their breathing slowed, locked fingers becoming looser as dreams washed over them like a wave. The Doctor, the man that aliens had nightmares about, someone that could bring death and destruction to someone with a snap of the fingers, had fallen completely in love with a short, stubborn and feisty English teacher from Earth. Of all the people out to get him in this universe, he couldn't believe that she was his downfall.

With Clara curled snugly into his side, keeping him safe and watching his back, he felt like he could do anything in the world, and for her he definitely would.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this over a month ago and due to a long holiday and school picking up again I haven't been able to post/write anything else since. However, I hope this isn't too shabby! Kudos and comments are appreciated as always.


End file.
